The 8 Worst Email Phrases You Should Avoid

These 8 Email Phrases Make Us Want To Throw Our Laptops Across The Room

It’s hard to believe that email was ever a novelty — today it’s a lifeline for pretty much every professional in every industry. It’s nearly impossible to imagine navigating professional life without it. Still, just because we pretty much all use it doesn’t mean we’re all using it the right way.

Most of us have one — or, let’s be honest, many! — email phrases that really drive us up the wall. Whether it’s that one semi-condescending phrase your boss loves to use, or the passive-aggressive tone your colleague always has, chances are you’ve previously received an email with language that irked, annoyed, or even infuriated you.

If you’ve ever wondered what the most annoying email phrases are, then look no further. Earlier this year, Adobe released a survey analyzing email language and identified a list of the most annoying phrases, according to 1,000 workers. The results shed light on communication and email culture, but also raised the question— given how many phrases are supposedly 'off-limits' — how are we supposed to write an email that won't piss someone off?

Ahead, a list of the eight most-annoying email phrases, and some fresh suggestions on new ways to communicate what you need to without annoying your recipient.